I got hooked on Shameless, the American version, currently waiting for its 3rd season. The family is a bunch of crazy losers, fighting for every day, making pitiful amounts of money to buy the cheapest products that even the Chinese would ignore, fighting their additions and weaknesses while breeding like rabbits.
.
The actors for the US version were amazing. The Dad, an actor of nearly-Oscar stature, drives the show with his drunken “loserness”.
.
However, I then discovered the British version – as with many amazing TV show, it was the Brits that conceived and implemented the idea. Shameless UK is a 9 season story, meaning that the Americans have a lot of seasons ahead of them. The UK version (original!) of the father, although less known, is even better!
.
It is a hard show to watch in “marathon” mode, watching episodes one after the other – I survived 3 seasons at one go, over a few days, but then I had to take a break, coming back to the next seasons after a month-long break. Why? I missed the crazy crazies.
.
The UK version is deeper – although the US version shows similar lumpenproletariat lowliness of existence, the UK version is more dark, depressing, soggy, downtrodden. It reeks of Manchester, the unemployed for decades part, and such an atmosphere is difficult to replicate in the US. Even the accents are worse in UK, and anyone who has heard the real tongue will appreciate the depths of the UK show. Interestingly, I wonder how many non-native English speakers watched the UK version and grasped the words, terms, social and cultural and local inferences? I found the US version much easier, maybe because it is aimed at a simpler (??) audience that cannot understand (and thus appreciate) the accent-context?
.
I have mixed feelings about the show, and maybe that is why it draws me in every time.
.
They are amazing losers, people forgotten by God, fate and state, descending with each episode lower into the definition of whatever bottom-feeding-scum that can be found in the Devil’s dictionary. Drugs, alcohol, thievery, hard crime, violence, betrayal, failure are the standard issues in their daily lives. Cheating and stealing are not just limited to the outside world, as the family does the same to each other, close friends, etc. Crime lords, crazies, criminals, psychos surround them, adding mayhem to their lives.
.
At the same time, there is something sweet and optimistic. These are humans at the bottom of the social scale for whom, it turns out, blood is the only determinant of (whatever remaining) loyalty. They are the gang of crazies out against everyone else. There is love (twisted, psychotic, supremely emotional, irrational and unpredictable) that powers them along, gives them strength in time of ultimate doom, while the closely-knit universe of a few people (dozen?) is faced with the challenge of taking on the entire world. They somehow survive.
.
Knowing how the world really works, enforces the simple message of that show: blood is thicker than everything else. There is no escaping family.
.
A lesson for us, in Central Europe, filled with lovers of the Vodka fluid, is interesting: just like the father in Shameless, every alcoholic loser can utter reality-altering philosophical sentences that explode your reality. If it is not him/her, then similar sentences can be provided by the scarred children. In their single-second of clarity, alcoholics are sane, super sane, Plato-like-sane. It is a pity they descend into chaos and destruction immediately after…
A lesson for all in the world, relates to a question: what will people do, to achieve any, Any, ANY happiness in their everyday-miserable lives?

Having just done a nice round of international educations fairs (and looking forward to two more), I can’t help but voice my amazement at the excitement among local education institutions. I like watching the students, who come for information about opportunities for studying abroad and the salespeople from western universities that tirelessly sell the promise of a top-class education in “place X” or “city Z”. These fairs are now big business, often organised by private companies that collect a sizeable royalty from universities wishing to expose themselves (pun intended) to the money-possessing student-wannabe. Universities see these events as a good way to contact clients and spend many thousands of dollars or pounds on sending the representatives (with massive amounts of publicity materials) to various corners of the world.
.
All good.
.
What drives me insane with education fairs, is the lack of logic at the local universities and private institutions – wherever I go for a visit, there are posters and leaflets advertising such events. WHY?? Don’t the local HEI players understand that these events are intended to steal students away from them, away from their country, students who will often never come back? Why advertise your own competition? Why help foreign institutions whisk away much of the best talent, those speaking good English, motivated and who can afford western levels of tuition?
.
Having posters of these “academic piracy” events in your institution is not a sign of coolness, nor internationalisation. It is purely bad management, lack of proper perception, a careless approach to market, supply and demand. It is as if Apple had an advertisement for Samsung or Microsoft talked about the benefits of Ubuntu (competitive operating system). In real/normal business this would never happen, so why in higher education?
.
Am I the only one that always binned these education fairs posters/leaflets?
.
We pride ourselves on teaching students to think, but in our own back yard, that activity is less perfect, sometimes even missing completely. Dear Rectors, start ripping those posters down and yell at your teachers who unwittingly (gullibility is not a good thing) place these “how to steal a student” adverts in your universities.

I’ve just seen the trailers for two new documentaries coming out in end of 2012, both focusing on the drug trade and its impact on our world.
.

.
For years I have been fascinated by the inability of large and powerful governments to stop the drug epidemic by doing two things:
1. Taking the battle to the source(s) of drugs, by operating officially or in clandestine manner right on the doorsteps of those producing drugs for export. The war on terror has show us how advanced technology and skilled operators on the ground can be very effective in extinguishing the enemy and reducing the impact of advanced “enemy” organisations through reducing their human asset pool. Afghanistan and Palestine show us, how a hellfire missile can change the balance of power.
2. Going after the drug as a biological material (this of course, does not relate to chemical drugs like speed). With the bio-genetic technology we have, there is no way that a determined government cannot develop a biological weapon (or genetic) aimed solely at the natural plants that produce our most potent drugs. Where is the virus that kills coca plants?
.
But then I realised (again and again) that the WAR must go on – no one in the governments needs a win on this issue, and by that I mean a win in terms of stopping the transmission of drugs across borders into developed western states. Without a drug problem epidemic, people will begin looking at the real underlying issues of poverty, as those that now “do drugs” and through that can be blamed for being useless or hurtful to wider society will begin asking: ok, we got no more drugs, we are clean, where are our jobs and medical services?
.
The same goes for agencies “battling the war”, that have sprung up in response to various governmental policies or have taken on new duties and thus received massive inflows of funding and resources. Agencies like the DEA do not want the “war” to end, as then they would have to close themselves down – the defenders have taken on a vested interest in the maintenance of the conflict. A one-time solution will yield a one-time bonus and then unemployment, while partial solutions will assure a steady, well-paid and prestigious job for life.
.
The politicians need a ghostly enemy, on whom many problems can be blamed and solutions need not be invented, especially that our modern-day politicians have no idea on how to deal with much simpler problems.
.
One interesting issue is: who cares about the citizens, suffering sheer hell in the hundreds of thousands? Who takes responsibility for defending those that cannot do it themselves?
.
The second one is worse: with the interweaving of interests (government, security, crime) all for the sake of “war on terror”, have we completely lost our ethical and moral compass an cannot focus on more than one strategic imperative, but must sacrifice all else in a desperate attempt at retaining our credibility?
.
The third relates to the increasing prison population, often cited as the emergence of modern-day slavery, used in various economic activities.
.
In a WAR, we need to “heroes”, “enemies”, there must be “effort” and “sacrifice” as well as “necessary spending”. Did I mention “civilian casualties”? Remember one interesting statistic about modern wars: before the 20th century 90% of all casualties in a war were the soldier; today 90% of the casualties are the civilians. The same in our “war on drugs”?
.

In preparation for the meeting of all Polish Polonias (Polish expatriate communities in different countries, in short, Polish expats), the media has found some time to mention a rising conflict amongst various generations of Poles abroad. Why the surprise?
.
The original expats found their way to various nations mostly in the time around WWII, thrown here and there by hurricanes of war. Many were connected to the military, carrying with them strong feelings of loyalty to nation, state, flag, anthem, formal structures (military and political). At that time, most were devout catholics and believed in a strict, formal and patriarchal family. They stayed abroad, had jobs, bought houses and bred kids. Two-three generations later, modern Poland has a large pool of pseudo-Poles living in countless nations, many of which do not speak the language, have little interest in their native homeland and pursue successful local lives. Others seek out information about Poland, learn the language, visit the state. Their parents and grandparents, still living run the multitude of organisations, charities, support “Polish” churches, attend mass and generally have a right-wing, pro-national stance and outlook on life, things and other people.
.
The new wave of expats have no military nor combat past, they come from varied backgrounds and possess different levels of education. They do, however, share one common trait – they all left the country of their own volition, in pursuit of a better life, better incomes. To them, their country has betrayed their hopes and dreams, forcing them to emigrate, as good and well-paying jobs are few and far between. Hard working, they seek different things, often suffering modern slavery for a limited period (they hope), so that the (of so typical) Polish envelope filled with cash can be taken proudly home. They have little interest in things held sacred by the older&different generations that preceded them abroad.
.
The conflict is one of time: absolutely-Catholic, right-wing, strong-government Poland, cherishing its history is a thing of the past and today’s nation is one torn by crises, weakened by bad rulers, robbed by criminals, politicians and “businesspeople” alike, with millions not benefitting from the promise of a new economic system. It chases people away.
.
Many will stay away forever, collecting their families once they establish a decent life, everyone deciding that life away from “Polska” is better, safer, easier, wealthier, free from crap bureaucrats and the bullshit of our “politicians”, where money can be made and not lost to a useless tax system. What’s most important, life abroad can be planned, hopes created, overdrafts and mortgages taken out without having to sell-off own livers.
.
The future of Polish expats belongs to the economic exiles, who have little or no attachment to and belief in, this weird country. As such, any attempts made by any governments (funny campaigns of “bring back the expats”) will fail, not because of bad marketing, but because it is those very politicians that drive people away. And nothing will come from the moaning so popular in Polish media and political circles, moaning about lost intellectual capital, lost taxes, lost national insurance, reduction of GDP and the reduction in skilled labourers (with the most popular questions: why do they pay taxes to other governments? who will suppoort us when we get old if everyone emigrates?).
.
Why? Simple – the expats are running away from YOU, you political idiots.
Want to bring them back? Retire, quit, go pick strawberries in Denmark, but STOP “being a Polish politician”. Please?

The Polish news reported that a new wave of émigrés is preparing for departure – tens of thousands will leave for wealthier countries, looking for a better life. The number predicted is much smaller than the actual number leaving in the next 18-24 months as the economic crisis hits Poland. Many will never return. Polish emigration is a new and unstoppable trend.
.
Until now Poland has been supported by EU funding from the recent Brussels funding cycle, that formally ends in 2013, but in many priorities, the funds have already began drying up. Add to that the boom that came before Euro2012 and we had a nice period of growth, business, employment.
.
But now, the EU coffers are dry with Brussels obsessing about wasting money on PIGS, the Polish economy is witnessing the first waves of bankruptcies in the building trade, while businesses and institutions are freezing employment, wages, expenses. Simultaneously, many businesses are moving further – starting to downsize in expectation of a dire economic period, while consumers, aware of the impending doom, are doing the same – withholding expenses, uncertain as to their future.
.
Did I mention that the Polish government is also tightening its policies? Higher existing taxes, introduction of new ones, increased monitoring and control of economic activity and businesses are an added burden in an economy already inefficient thanks to massive administrative idiocies, incompetent bureaucrats, extended procedures requiring massive amounts of paperwork and a general negative attitude to anyone trying to do anything.
.
Simultaneously, we all see the same greedy government spending out stolen taxes in lavish ways on countless stupid and useless projects, while allowing the media to continuously inform us, the citizens, about scandals, thefts, criminals robbing the nation via loopholes, etc.
.
Very bad government, idiotic system, moronic politicians, collapsing economy, falling employment tied to rising costs of living and skyrocketing taxation – can anyone be surprised that Poles want to emigrate? UK, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Austria are the primary centres of economic Polish émigrés, desperate to earn a decent wage and to develop their lives, families, futures regardless of the idiocies happening in their home country. They work hard, save, sometimes invest, many are still deluding themselves that one day they will come back. Come back to what? The crap we have happening right now ain’t going to change without a revolution.
.
And here we come to the crux – many that emigrated and many that will emigrate soon, will never come back. Why save in Ireland or UK and buy a house in Poland, next to the people you knew and wanted to impress many eyars ago (when leaving Poland), only to discover now, that you have nothing to return to? Your skills don’t matter in Poland, your knowledge, languages, intercultural awareness, etc., are all useless or you will get paid a national average, like everyone else, so… you don’t feel so special.
.
With the permanent émigrés vanish our chances for development, for growth, for acceleration, innovation and for generation of new money. But, they are making the right choice.
.
Bon voyage – you are doing the right thing. Just promise to tell your kids about this country filled with idiot bureaucrats and politicians less moral and less competent than meth-addicted whores.